Gallup’s Strengths Finder

Gallup’s Strengths Finder

Many times in life we are asked to look at our weaknesses and see how we improve upon them. Although it is a good practice to be aware of our shortcomings, it can blind us to our positive qualities. Shifting focus to strengths can be difficult but the outcome can be beneficial for numerous reasons.

Before starting my internship with MTCCA, I was asked to take the Gallup Strength Finder 2.0 test. This test analyzes your strengths and gives a personalized report based on your answers. Each member of the MTCCA team takes this test, giving us a platform and common language to discuss potential ways to positively impact the team. I had the opportunity to participate in a team building exercise with the MTCCA staff. We were split into two groups, competing to see who could build the tallest tower using a paper bag, uncooked spaghetti, and 2 feet of masking tape in 15 minutes. Although my team did not win, we were able to observe each other’s strengths in action, whether it was in planning the tower, coming up with creative solutions to problems that arose during the process, or encouraging other team members. MTCCA is an incredibly positive environment, where the staff not only focuses and builds upon their own strengths, but constantly looks towards highlighting the strengths of their clients.

The idea of focusing on strengths instead of faults heavily aligns with positive psychology, a relatively new branch of psychology that looks at people’s strengths and focuses on positive functioning. I have attached a Ted Talk by Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, which further explains its history and application.

https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology

The book and related strength test MTCCA uses is:

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

Here are some questionnaires related to positive psychology including a free strength based test you can take:  https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter

 

Shannon Flaherty